by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 1, 2020
Texan Col. John Russell is now the oldest living Olympic medalist. The colonel, a show jumper, was on the U.S. bronze medal team at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952.
Col. Russell, who turned 100 in February, assumed the honor following the death of Swedish runner Folke Alnevik last month.
John Russell, second from left, met at the Helsinki Olympics with Capt. Antonio Reimao and Maj. Fernando Paes of Portugal and Sgt. 1st Class Norman Brinker of the USA.
Col. Russell served in World War II as a member of Gen. George Patton’s staff, selected because of his equestrian skills, and earned a Bronze Star, the Soldier’s Medal and a Purple Heart. After the war, he was named to the U.S. Olympic team for the 1948 London Games, part of the last U.S. equestrian delegation chosen from the U.S. Army. Col. Russell finished 21st in individual jumping on Air Mail.
After the Army equestrian team was disbanded, Col. Russell was selected for the first civilian U.S. equestrian team in 1952. At the Games in Helsinki that year, he won team jumping bronze on Democrat alongside Arthur McCashin (Miss Budweiser) and Bill Steinkraus (Hollandia).
In 1956, Col. Russell became the officer in charge of the U.S. Modern Pentathlon Training Center at Fort Sam Houston,Texas. Over the subsequent decades, he coached the U.S. modern pentathlon delegations at six Olympic Games, where his athletes won six medals, and 22 world championships. He helped organize the 1959 and 1977 World Modern Pentathlon Championships, and organized the modern pentathlon at the 1959 Pan American Games.
Col. Russell received the Pegasus Medal of Honor from the U.S. Equestrian Federation and the Gold Medal of Honor from the UIPM, modern pentathlon’s international federation. He was inducted into the U.S. Show Jumping Hall of Fame in 2001 and the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the FEI in 2010.
Since retiring, he has run the Russell Equestrian Center in San Antonio, where he and his sons carry on his legacy and train the next generation of champions.
British sailor Jasper Blackall is now the second-oldest living Olympic medallist and also 100, having been born in July 1920. American canoeist John Lysak, who competed at Berlin 1936, is currently the oldest living Olympian in the world at 106.
The oldest living Olympic champion is Hungary’s former gymnast Ágnes Keleti, who won 10 Olympics medals in the 1950s including five golds.He is 99.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 1, 2020
As the weather gets cooler, you’re ready to take your horse on the road a bit, but don’t want to show. That’s why it’s great to be in hunter/trail pace season, with plenty of opportunities in New Jersey to try this low-key, fun competition.
The Monmouth County Hunt will have two more themed paces this fall starting at their hunt kennels, 50 E. Branch Road, Allentown. On Oct. 11, the theme is tack sale and meet a foxhound. The final pace Nov. 1 offers thoroughbred challenge awards and a tailgate contest. All jumps have go-arounds.
There are three divisions, with the fee $55 for adults and $35 for juniors. Both English and western riders are welcome, with protective headgear, of course. For more information, go to this link
The Essex Foxhounds have added a pace Oct. 25 at their usual venue, Cedar Lane Farm on Homestead Road in Oldwick. For more on Essex, go to www.essexfoxhounds.org.
The Spring Valley Hounds’ hunter pace is Nov. 1 in Allamuchy, Warren County. There are six divisions, including a “fossil” section for which the ages of the two riders on a team must add up to 110. The fee is $50 per rider. Teams go out from 9 a.m. through 12:30 p.m. For details, go to http://www.springvalleyhounds.com/hunter-paces.html
There’s a grand prize of $500 for the best performance in two of the three Spring Valley paces this year.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 27, 2020
The Far Hills Race Meeting won’t be held this year, but people still have an excuse to come to beautiful Moorland Farm. American Express is bringing back the era of drive-ins by putting on three movie nights there this month, with admission set at $25 for a carload of friends or family.
Complimentary prepackaged concessions, including specialty popcorn, sweets, savory items and beverages from local businesses will be provided to four people in every car. Gates open at 7:30p.m., with the shows starting at 8:15 p.m.Sept. 10, 11 and 12. The films being screened are all family-friendly.
Tickets much be purchased using an American Express card. Proceeds will be donated to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation as part of a long-standing partnership with the foundation and in support of small businesses. For information about which movies will be on the giant screen and to buy tickets, go to this link
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 26, 2020
The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s Zone 2 (NY, NJ, PA) Horse of the Year Hunter Championship has been cancelled.
Scheduled for Oct. 18, it originally was supposed to be held in Harrisburg, Pa., at the home of the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. But that show was cancelled and a search for another venue didn’t work out.
The Zone 2 Committee looked at several options to host the Zone 2 HOTY at a different venue before making the decision to cancel. The hunter championship joins the Zone 2 jumper championship, which was to have been held in September at the Devon. Pa., showgrounds, in the dustbin of 2020.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 22, 2020
Clark Shipley, longtime member of the John Madden Sales family, lost his battle with cancer today at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse, N.Y.
A note from John Madden Sales and Beezie Madden stated that Clark, who was 61, grew up in rural Iowa, learning about horses through the world of harness racing. He went to work for his uncle, Iowa Harness Racing Hall of Fame’s Mike Arnold. Eventually Clark struck out on his own, racing and training Standardbreds, where he met his longtime girlfriend, Sue Schlegel.
Clark joined John Madden Sales in the early 1990s and often joked about how he was hired. In his own words, “What I tell people is that they wanted Sue so bad, they took me. I was the ‘player to be named later’ in the baseball trade.”
But Clark became the behind-the-scenes backbone of the team. Clark brought the balance and the fun to the high pressure moments that come with international travel and high stakes competitions. With top horses including Authentic, Simon, Cortes C, Darry Lou, Desilvio, Breitling, and many more under his care, Clark traveled the world, bringing his common sense attitude along.
Clark was known for his love of dogs, Harley Davidson motorcycles, Dr. Mcgillicuddy’s Mentholmint, and quiet mornings in his chair in the barn, drinking his coffee and reading the paper. Clark was always quick with a joke or story, often inappropriate, and not shy about sharing his opinion. He loved the horses best of all.
Even after a lifetime of experience, Clark would speak about how a horseman is always learning, saying to the Chronicle, “you meet a lot of people and see a lot of different things and ways of doing things everywhere you go. If you ever think you know everything, you’re in trouble. You can always learn something.”
If you had the honor of knowing Clark, take a shot of Doctor or Jack Daniels tonight, and take an extra quiet moment at night check or morning feed to appreciate the horses and dogs in your life.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 20, 2020
Kip Rosenthal, a successful hunter and jumper rider who became a top trainer and respected mentor, died today after a long illness. She was 69.
Her sister, Jo Michaels, noted that Kip “loved her career of over 50 years working with horses and their people. In turn, the people loved her for the inspiration and knowledge that she imparted to them.”
Kip Rosenthal and Goodboy Dee (Photo courtesy of Jo Michaels)
Kip, based in Wellington, Fla., was very well-educated, holding a bachelor of science degree, two masters degrees and a doctorate in adolescent clinical psychology. Her riding resume was just as distinguished. As a junior, her Good Boy Dee was National Junior Hunter Champion, while her Rome Dome was National Junior Jumper Champion Horse of the Year, then went on to become her grand prix jumper on the U.S. Equestrian Team.
In 1985, she opened her training barn, Benchmark Farms. Her students won all of the national equitation finals. Many of the riders and horses with whom she worked went on to win Horse of the Year in several divisions. As an R-rated judge, she officiated at all the national equitation finals and served on numerous U.S. Equestrian Federation committees.
Recently, her focus had been sports psychology, working with juniors, amateurs and professional athletes in many disciplines. Kip’s first book, Kip’s Tips, was just published. Over the years, she has written articles that have appeared in publications such as The Chronicle of the Horse, Practical Horseman, and Equestrian.
As Jo, observed, “Kip has always been admired and loved by her colleagues for her great ability as a rider, instructor and friend. Her honesty and willingness to share her knowledge was known by all her associates.
“Kip has left her family, dogs, and friends for a period of time, but has always believed it is only a temporary separation,” said Jo, who was very important to her, along with Jo’s husband, Jerry Michaels; her first born niece, Lauren Lary; Lauren’s husband, Jon and their children, Ethan and Anna, and her dearest second niece, Abby Lowe. Also missing her is her best friend of 46 years, Dale Huebner.
Steve Price, a longtime friend who rode with Kip, noted that she “didn’t teach her students to ride: she taught us how to learn to ride. Learning to ride was our responsibility, with Kip ever ready, willing and able to provide the necessary tools, correct us whenever needed and applaud our accomplishments.
“One of Kip’s favorite images was `sponge.’ She prized students who were eager to soak up information. Indeed, Kip often said that she could easily spend the rest of her professional life not seeking the glory of horse-show competition, but alone in a ring with a horse and a `sponge’ of a rider on its back.”
Arrangements for services are pending. Contributions may be made in Kip’s name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 33105 or to Guiding Eyes for the Blind, 611 Granite Springs Rd. Yorktown Heights, NY 10598.
